Positive health visitor experience!

[BumbleBee120]

I had been so anxious about the health visitor coming today, even though I didn't really have any concerns, you always doubt they might pick on something and make you feel you're doing something wrong. You tend to always hear lots of negative experiences too which doesn't help, but had such a positive experience today with a lovely health visitor so just wanted to post this here for any first time mums who are anxious 🤗

Mine was lovely! Very kind and supportive in the baby phase and was really helpful with starting the process of getting some help when flags were coming up about our son being autistic as time went on. They get a bad rap on here but I know lots of women in real life who've said they had really positive experiences.

Ours were fantastic. There were two of them and between them they supported, advocated and arranged everything necessary for my child to receive an autism diagnosis at 2 years old along with the necessary speech and occupational therapies to support.

We occasionally bump into then out and about and they remember him 6 years on 💙

I have had the same unbelievably amazing HV for my two DDs - born in 21 and 24. She came fortnightly for DD1 until she was 1yr as DD1 had a NICU stay and then lots of weight gain issues and i ended up with PNA. And then has been coming 4-6weekly with DD2 because she was worried about me / returning PND due to DD2s dreadful sleep. She has got us referrals to all sorts of different services for all three of us and generally has been a brilliant support, especially as my DM is 250miles away. It's such a shame the system seems to be such a postcode lottery - I would love to replicate my HV and share her with everyone!

How lovely to hear such positive comments about health visitors. They generally get a really bad press on here, so that makes a lovely change.

I've had 3 great HV in two towns.

I had pnd when my daughter was born and I saw her every other week to get support through that. My daughter had reflux and allergies and for months she was the only one that was listening.

I later had counselling with a different HV after struggling with managing my daughters needs alongside my own needs. My daughters paediatrician referred us back to the HVs for support and it was a big help during a tricky time with a 3yo who slept like a newborn and once again had uncontrolled reflux.

I had a lovely experience with a HV when my daughter was about 6-7 months old. We’d moved to a new town and I took DD to be weighed and measured for her car seat. The HVs hadn’t been bad at all in the previous town, but equally hadn’t been particularly helpful either.
The new HV took one look at DD and said “oh what a well loved little girl, and a lovely strong bond you two have I can already tell”. At the time I was a first time mum in the midst of weaning, still trying to navigate naps, had just moved to a new town where I didn’t know anyone, and was still in that stage of feeling like I was getting everything wrong and questioning every decision I made. I hadn’t realised I needed it, but having someone other than my husband who was an unbiased, experienced professional to tell me I was doing a good job just felt so validating and really helped me at one of the lowest points I’ve had as a parent to date.

DD had jumped up centiles as well and she told me how I was feeding her was obviously working perfectly. I think that’s also the moment where I let go of a lot of misplaced guilt I had for DD being formula fed.

Mine were always lovely. You’ve got to remember that for every bad story you hear, there’s 100’s that happen every day that no one passes comment on.

This is a lovely thread to read. I am a HV and the bashing that we get on here sometimes is enough to make me question my career choice, so it is nice to know that some of our efforts are appreciated :)

They absolutely are! I was going to apply for the HV course but was put off by the general hatred of HVs on here, funnily enough. Thank you for what you do, I would have struggled a hell of a lot more postpartum had it not been for our awesome HV. ❤️

Don’t let Mumsnet put you off. It’s actually the best job in the world. In all my years as a HV, I didn’t encounter any negativity from any of the families I cared for.